Chapter 12

Exactly two hours to the minute, Valerie heard a car turn onto the top of Gracie Lane. He was nothing if not punctual. Maybe, she thought, he was a little anxious, too. She smiled to herself and hurried into the house, not wanting him to catch her waiting for him. She was in the kitchen refreshing her glass of wine when the doorbell rang. She slowly walked to the front door and opened it. What she saw took her breath away. She could do nothing but stare at him, her mouth gaped open.

Jon was dressed in a white button-down shirt, generously unbuttoned, its tails hanging over black suit pants that were cut perfectly for him. His cuffs were turned back, exposing his sinewy forearms. Well-worn boots poked out from the pant legs. His hair was still damp around the edges, and he had left the scruffy five o’clock shadow, making him look dangerously sexy. Laughing at her expression, he did a slow turn under her scrutiny, and she saw that the pants were indeed, tailored for him. They hugged that perfect butt like nothing she’d ever seen. “Do I pass inspection?”

All Valerie could do was nod. She hadn’t found her voice yet. It left her the moment she opened the door. Valerie registered that Jon was staring at her. His eyes scanned her from head to toe and back again; his eyes wide. He was looking at her as if he could eat her whole. Jon made a turning motion with his hand, and Valerie giggled. She used both hands to scoop her hair up to the top of her head, raising her hem a little, and made her own slow turn, letting Jon take in the back of the dress before letting the tumble of curls fall down her back. When she completed her circle cocked an eyebrow at him as if to ask “Well?”, and he let out a low wolf whistle.

Valerie smiled shyly, pleased that her efforts had the desired effect. “Would you like to come in for a glass of wine before dinner?” she asked, playing the good hostess.

Jon shook his head. “Honey, if I step over that threshold, we will never make it to dinner, and it would be a damn crying shame to not show you off.” It took all his control to not reach out to see if her skin felt as soft as it looked or tasted as good as it smelled. He wanted scoop her up and discover just what was under that dress.

“Suit yourself,” she said, turning quickly, to make her skirt flare out. Jon got a glimpse of smooth leg that didn’t seem to stop, and his mouth ran dry. Valerie dropped a saucy wink over her shoulder as she sauntered to the hall table to deposit her glass and pick up a completely useless but extremely cute beaded bag. Jon chuckled.

“What’s so funny, Jon?” Valerie asked.

“You’ll pay for that,” he said.

“Pay for what?” Valerie said innocently, turning quickly again and this time dropping her purse. Before Jon could instinctively move to retrieve it, Valerie bent over at the waist to retrieve it, causing her dress to gape just enough to make Jon hiss through his teeth.

“You will most surely pay for that,” he said.

Valerie smiled. The game of seduction was coming back to her, and she was enjoying the hell out of it. “Oh, I have no doubt about that,” she said, slinking toward him and sliding a gentle hand into the open vee of his shirt to caress his skin. “In fact, I’m counting on it.” She kissed his lips gently, trailed a hand down his cheek, and led the way out the door.

Jon shook his head and blew out a sharp breath. He closed the door and jogged to the car ahead of Valerie to open the door for her. She noticed a gaily wrapped flat package on her seat. “What’s this?” she asked him.

He smiled. “I picked you up a little something,” he said, shrugging. “No big deal.” He took her hand and helped her into the car. When she was seated, Jon braced one hand on the seatback next to her head, and reached across her to buckle her seatbelt. He made sure that he grazed her breasts, making her gasp. He smiled and licked her neck before shutting the door.

Valerie shivered then looked at the gift in her lap. She was touched, and more than a little intrigued. She was the type of person who had gone snooping for Christmas presents every year once she knew that Santa was really Mom and Dad. She held the package on her lap while Jon hurried around the front of the car to his. When he was seated, she held up the package, asking, “Do I have to wait until later to open it? Or can I open it now?”

“By all means,” Jon said, smirking. “If you can’t wait, then please, open it now.”

The sanctimonious tone of his voice made Valerie smile a sickly-sweet smile at Jon. She reached to put the box in the back seat. “I can wait just as long as you, darlin’,” she said, noticing Jon’s eyes on her neckline as she stretched and bent. She made a point to cross her legs, causing her skirt to ride up a bit. This did not escape Jon’s notice. “The question is,” she said huskily, “how long can you wait?”

“Baby, I’ve got all night,” he said, locking eyes on her. He slowly trailed a hand from her knee to her waist; bunching the dress at her hip. Valerie didn’t move a muscle. Jon hadn’t found anything but skin. His expertly tailored pants were feeling pretty tight right about then. “Waiting will make it that much sweeter,” he said. With a wink, he lowered her skirt, started the car, and they were off.

As they cruised through Sag Harbor, they stopped at the marina to look at the boats. When they got to the ferry, they were the only car looking to cross. After a few minutes’ wait, the captain took off. Valerie had gotten out of the car and was standing at the rail, the wind blowing her hair back, making her look like a Goddess. He went to stand with her, bracing his hands on the rail on either side of her, and leaning into her back. He kissed her neck and whispered wonderfully naughty things in her ear until she pressed back into him, making him gasp.

The ferry crossing to Shelter Island took nearly ten minutes, but it seemed to pass in an instant. All too soon, they were rushing to get back into the car. As they were driving through town, Jon cast a sidelong glance at Valerie. “Maybe later, we can stop in at for a few beers at the Dory.” Jon was referring to the dive in the heart of Dering Harbor. At Christmastime, the platform out in the water behind the bar was festooned with the scraggliest tree Valerie had ever seen. It made Charlie Brown’s tree look full.

“Uh-uh. No way. I am NOT going into the Dory again,” Valerie was nearly doubled over laughing. “The last time I went in there, God, it must have been fifteen years ago. Not only was I the only young woman in there, I was the only one with all my own teeth. Men AND women included.” Jon burst out laughing.

They crossed the natural bridge onto Ram Island, where the Inn was located, and pulled into the parking lot. Valerie’s heart sank. There were no other cars in the lot.

“Oh no,” she said, disappointment in her tone. “Are they closed? I didn’t even think to call ahead and check. It’s only April; do they not open until May?”

Jon chuckled. “You’re right, darlin’, they don’t usually open until May. I called in a favor to Jim and Linda, though, and they opened the restaurant for us.” He slid a sideways glance at her, taking in her look of disbelief. “You’ll have to make do with whatever the chef feels like preparing, though.”

“Oh,” she said on a breath, her eyes wide. “You didn’t have to do that!” Never would she have imagined anyone, let alone this man, would go through the trouble.

Jon looked into Valerie’s eyes and took her hand. “Sweetheart, you wanted dinner here, and it’s within my power to do it, so here we are.”

“You are amazing. Thank you,” Valerie said leaning in to give him a kiss. She closed her eyes and sighed as Jon put one hand behind her head and deepened the kiss, gently tangling his tongue with hers.

“You’re more than welcome,” Jon answered, smiling when they finally came up for air. “Now, let’s go eat before they think we aren’t coming.” He dropped a small kiss on Valerie’s nose and held up a finger. “Don’t move,” he said.

Valerie nodded, and her gaze followed him as Jon got out of the car and walked around to her door. He opened the door and leaned in to unbuckle her seatbelt, once again grazing her breasts, setting her blood on fire. He pulled her out of the car, and put a hand to the small of her back, guiding her into the restaurant.

The dining room was dimly lit, and was empty except for one table set up in the middle of the room. It was done up in white linens with an arrangement of fresh flowers off to one side. Delicate candles ringed the flowers. Two chairs sat alongside each other, facing the flowers. The table was oriented so they’d have a view of the expansive grounds and Coecles Harbor. It looked like the head table at an intimate wedding reception. Soft jazz played in the background, the saxophone enhancing the atmosphere. Valerie and Jon were greeted by Jim Eklund himself, an older gentleman who reminded Valerie a lot of her father. Jon made the introductions.

“Mr. Eklund, I can’t thank you enough for doing this,” Valerie said.

“Please, call me Jim. All my friends do, and any friend of JB here is a friend of mine,” the man answered, eyes twinkling. “Besides, I always like to hear my name come from the mouth of a beautiful woman.” He winked at her, making her blush.

“Jim, then. Thank you. The dining room looks beautiful. You didn’t have to go through all this trouble,” Valerie said.

“No trouble at all, young lady,” he said, then winked at Jon. “Shall we?” he said, and offered his arm to Valerie. With an amused expression, she took the older man’s arm and was led to their table. Jon held her chair, and as he scooted her in, he leaned down to kiss her neck. When he was seated on her left, he draped his right arm across the back of her chair, and took her right hand, bringing it to his lips for a kiss.

“I wonder what’s on the menu tonight,” Valerie said without thinking.

“You,” Jon answered, as his lips skimmed her knuckled again.

“I meant for dinner,” she said breathlessly. “Not dessert.”